Alpha Coverage #144
AI, Robotics, Space, Quantum Computing, Climate Change/Energy Transition, Biotech/Genomics
Weekly newsletter bringing you a summary of unbiased, critical, thesis changing stock market news with long term impact. We cover news articles, opinion pieces and all forms of media to help you stay ahead of the curve. WealthWise Coverage Universe (Only for paying subscribers).
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This Week’s Alpha Coverage: YouTube Playlist or Weekly Compilation.
Editor’s Pick:
MU 0.00%↑ RMBS 0.00%↑ #SSNLF
[News] Samsung, SK hynix looking to raise server DRAM prices by up to 70% amid AI boom impacting supply: report
Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) and SK hynix (HXSC.F) are looking to raise prices for server memory by up to 70% in the first quarter, while a surging demand in AI impacts global supply, The Korea Economic Daily reported.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
[News] Nvidia Vera Rubin enters full production
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also revealed that the Vera Rubin, Nvidia’s next-generation computer platform and the successor to Grace Blackwell, has now entered full production.
It begins with a Vera CPU, a Rubin GPU and 17,000 additional components on a Vera Rubin compute board. It is a complete redesign with no cords or fans. In total, it features six new chips, including the Vera CPU, Rubin GPU, NVLINK 6 Switch, ConnectX-9 SuperNic, Bluefield-4 DPU and Spectrum-6 Ethernet Switch.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
[News] Aeva stock rises after Nvidia autonomous vehicle platform deal
Aeva (AEVA) shares jumped around 32% premarket on Tuesday after the company announced that its 4D LiDAR technology has been selected for the NVIDIA (NVDA) DRIVE Hyperion autonomous vehicle reference platform.
The companies will collaborate to integrate Aeva’s technology platform into Hyperion to support production vehicle programs targeted in 2028.
NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion is an open, modular AV development platform designed to help vehicles achieve L4 autonomous driving.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 06, 2026
HUMN 0.00%↑ KOID 0.00%↑ #HYMTF
[News] Hyundai was talking more like a mass humanoid robot maker than an automaker at CES
Hyundai Motor Group (HYMTF) used CES 2026 to unveil a new human-centered AI Robotics Strategy aimed at leading the emerging “Physical AI” industry and advancing large-scale human–robot collaboration. Notably, the vision includes plans to build 30,000 robots annually starting in 2028.
Boston Dynamics’ productized Atlas humanoid is slated for deployment at Hyundai Motor Group Manufacturing Alabama by 2028 for sequencing tasks, reducing physical burdens on workers, and supporting smart factory innovation.
The company also intends to establish a Hyundai Motor Group Physical AI Application Center and a dedicated robot manufacturing and foundry plant to enable mass production and foster the wider physical AI ecosystem.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 06, 2026
UBER 0.00%↑ NVDA 0.00%↑ LCID 0.00%↑ #Nuro
[News] See the robotaxi revealed at CES from Lucid, Nuro and Uber
Lucid Group (LCID), Nuro, and Uber Technologies (UBER) unveiled the production intent vehicle that will be used in their global robotaxi service and introduced the Uber-designed in-cabin rider experience for the first time at CES.
Highlights of the robotaxi will include a next-gen sensor array featuring high-resolution cameras, solid-state lidar sensors, and radars that provide 360-degree perception. Halo-mounted integrated LEDs will help riders easily identify the correct vehicle, display rider initials, and provide clear status updates from pickup through dropoff. In-vehicle visualization will show what the robotaxi sees and its planned path in real-time, including maneuvers such as yielding to pedestrians, slowing at traffic lights, changing lanes, and dropping off a passenger. The robotaxi was noted to leverage compute based on Nvidia’s (NVDA) Drive AGX Thor, supporting the real-time AI processing and system integration required for advanced autonomous driving.
The companies also announced that autonomous on-road testing began last month, an important milestone in the development and validation of the robotaxi service ahead of its expected launch in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 06, 2026
QBTS 0.00%↑ #QuantumCircuits
[News] D-Wave Quantum to buy Quantum Circuits for $550M in cash and stock
D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) has agreed to buy Quantum Circuits for a purchase price of $550 million, consisting of $300 million in D-Wave common stock and $250 million in cash.
The acquisition will bring together D-Wave’s expertise in scalable control of superconducting processors as well as its production-grade, high-availability quantum cloud platform with Quantum Circuits’ approach to error-corrected superconducting gate-model technology.
As part of the acquisition, Quantum Circuits’ experts in superconducting quantum computing and device physics, including Rob Schoelkopf, will expand D-Wave’s effort with a research and development center in New Haven, Connecticut. Schoelkopf, also a quantum professor at Yale University, specializes in superconducting quantum computing and practical error correction.
“Together with Quantum Circuits, we expect that D-Wave will leapfrog the industry, bringing gate-model products and services to market in 2026 and rapidly progressing our dual-platform strategy of delivering annealing and gate-model systems to address customers’ full breadth of computational problems. It’s a pivotal milestone and one that we believe will secure D-Wave’s long-term value proposition as quantum computing development and adoption accelerates,” said Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
MBLY 0.00%↑ #MenteeRobotics
[News] Mobileye’s Mentee Robotics acquisition seen by analysts as broadening scope of company
Shares of Mobileye (MBLY) rose about 2% on Wednesday after the company said it would acquire humanoid robotics startup Mentee Robotics for about $900M, which drew largely positive reactions from analysts.
The analysts added that in expanding into humanoids, Mobileye significantly grows its total addressable market, or TAM, and can use a strategic direction that is independent of the auto cycle.
Morgan Stanley’s analysts led by Andrew Percoco and his team noted that they we are constructive on the opportunity given Mobileye’s strategic advantage in data collection (32 billion miles harvested in 2025) and legacy OEM relationships, but would emphasize some caution around competition and the capital intensive nature of the humanoid robotics industry with formidable incumbents and well capitalized startups such as Tesla (TSLA) and Chinese manufacturers — where robotics benefit from government-backed robotics funds, innovation centers, and policies to uplift critical parts of the supply chain.
RBC analysts said that the goal of the acquisition is to combine Mobileye’s autonomous driving expertise with Mentee’s humanoid robotics platform to establish a Physical AI leader spanning both markets.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
[News] China moves to approve limited Nvidia H200 purchases - Bloomberg
China is moving toward a partial reopening of its market to Nvidia’s (NVDA) AI chips, with officials preparing to approve some imports of the company’s H200 chips as early as this quarter, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Under the plan, Chinese officials are preparing to allow local companies to purchase the component from Nvidia for select commercial uses, while its deployment would be restricted across the military, sensitive government agencies, critical infrastructure, and state-owned enterprises because of security concerns, the people said.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
News, Facts, Analyst & Market Commentary - Short Reads:
GOOG 0.00%↑ #SSNLF
Samsung plans to double Gemini-powered mobile devices in 2026 - report
The South Korean firm rolled out Gemini AI features to around 400M devices, including smartphones and tablets, by last year. It plans to double that figure to 800M in 2026.
“We will apply AI to all products, all functions, and all services as quickly as possible,” Co-CEO TM Roh said. “Even though AI technology might seem a bit doubtful right now, within six months to a year, these technologies will become more widespread.”
Roh noted that search is the most used AI feature on phones, but consumers also use generative AI editing and productivity tools, as well as AI translation and summary features.
As for the global shortage of memory chips, Roh said no company is immune to its impact, adding that mobile phones and consumer electronics like TVs would be affected by the shortage.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
[Newsletter Exclusive] Tesla’s China shipments slide for second straight year
The Austin-based carmaker shipped 851,732 vehicles from its Shanghai plant last year, down 7% year over year, according to preliminary data released Monday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
However, December deliveries totaled 97,171 vehicles, marking the fourth month in 2025 to show a year-over-year increase.
While shipments rose sharply from 710.9K vehicles in 2022 to a peak of 947.7K units in 2023, momentum has since reversed. China deliveries slipped to 916.7K vehicles in 2024 before falling further in 2025.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
Kodiak AI joins hands with Bosch for autonomous trucking hardware
Kodiak AI (KDK) announced a strategic agreement with Bosch on Monday to scale production of hardware and sensors for its AI-powered Kodiak Driver platform.
The Kodiak Driver combines advanced AI-driven software with modular, vehicle-agnostic hardware into a single, unified platform. Through this agreement, Bosch will support the development of a redundant autonomous platform that combines the integrated automotive-grade hardware, firmware, and software interfaces.
A Kodiak Driver-powered autonomous truck will be on display January 6-9 at CES 2026.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
Qualcomm introduces full suite of robotics technologies
Qualcomm Technologies (QCOM) on Monday introduced robotics technologies that integrate hardware, software, and compound AI.
Qualcomm Technologies also unveiled its robotics processor for industrial AMRs and advanced full-size humanoids, the Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ10 Series.
The company said that this latest robotics-specific processor would deliver “high performance, energy-efficient “Brain of the Robot” capabilities.”
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
Energy Vault expands Texas footprint with 150 MW SOSA Energy Center; cash rises to $100M
Energy Vault Holdings (NRGV) on Monday announced the start of construction of the SOSA Energy Center, a 150 MW/300 MWh battery energy storage system located in Madison County, Texas.
The project, originally developed by Savion, a subsidiary of Shell (SHEL), was formally acquired by Energy Vault in Q4 2025 under its Asset Vault platform and is expected to achieve commercial operation by Q2 2027.
Furthermore, Energy Vault (NRGV) sees increased cash and liquidity of ~65% in Q4 2025 to over $100 million -- above the high end of the guidance range—well positioned to execute on the company’s energy asset management strategy.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
AMZN 0.00%↑ GOOG 0.00%↑ #OpenAI
Amazon perks up after introducing Alexa.com
Amazon (AMZN) shares increased 2% during Monday market action after the tech behemoth rolled out Alexa.com, which expands the use of its artificial intelligence assistant across a multitude of devices.
“You can use Alexa.com to get quick answers, explore complex topics, create content, plan trip itineraries, and get help with homework,” Amazon said. “But Alexa+ doesn’t just provide information, it’s designed to take action. It can help you complete countless tasks: managing your to-do list, updating your family calendar, controlling your smart home, making reservations, and so much more. It also provides persistent context and continuity, allowing you to access Alexa on whichever device or interface best serves the task at hand, with all previous chats, preferences, and personalization seamlessly carrying over.”
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
Copper hits record $13,000/ton in London; Freeport-McMoRan jumps to new 52-week high
Benchmark copper futures climbed as much as 4.3% in London on Monday, touching $13,000/ton for the first time, extending last year’s 40%-plus rally as mine outages and trade dislocations prompt concerns over supplies of the metal.
A strike at Capstone Copper’s Mantoverde mine in Chile, following an accident at Freeport-McMoRan’s (FCX) giant Grasberg mine in Indonesia in September, marked the latest supply disruption at a time of expanding global demand for copper, while the threat of U.S. import tariffs on copper has led traders to increase up shipments to the U.S. in recent weeks, reducing supplies elsewhere.
Also, Venezuela is not known to produce refined copper, but analysts said President Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces has highlighted risks to the security of supply of critical minerals generally.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
Centrus Energy wins $900M award to restart domestic nuclear fuel production
Centrus Energy (LEU) +5.4% in Monday’s trading after the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $900 million each to the company and two other nuclear fuel producers as part of an effort to restart domestic production and wean the U.S. away from Russian uranium, Bloomberg reported.
Funding also will go to Peter Thiel-backed nuclear fuel enrichment startup General Matter and to a subsidiary of Orano, which is planning an enrichment facility in Tennessee.
The funding is in the form of task orders to purchase both low-enriched uranium used by traditional reactors and high-assay low-enriched uranium that will be needed to power small modular reactors that can be built at factories and assembled on site.
The DoE also said it was awarding $28 million to Global Laser Enrichment, jointly owned by Cameco (CCJ) and Silex Systems, to continue advancing next-generation uranium enrichment technology.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
Qualcomm deepens Google deal, Snapdragon X2 Plus, more at CES
Qualcomm also unveiled its new Snapdragon X2 Plus platform aimed at creators, which should boost speed, battery life and AI for PCs. The Snapdragon X2 Plus incorporates Qualcomm’s third-generation Oryon CPU and an 80 TOPS neural processing unit. It will be available from PC makers in the first half of the year, Qualcomm said.
The Cristiano Amon-led company also expanded its internet of things portfolio, including new Qualcomm Dragonwing Q-series processors.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
NVDA 0.00%↑ UBER 0.00%↑ LCID 0.00%↑ #MBGAF #MBGYY
Nvidia reveals Alpamayo, world’s first ‘thinking’ model for autonomous driving
Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang unveiled Alpamayo, a family of open models built for autonomous driving, during his keynote address at CES 2026 in Las Vegas on Monday.
Mercedes-Benz’s (MBGAF)(MBGYY) new CLA model, the brand’s first vehicle featuring the MB.OS platform, will include Nvidia’s full-stack DRIVE AV software, AI infrastructure and accelerated compute. The two companies have worked on this for several years.
Huang said the vehicles will be available in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2026, in Europe during the second quarter and will enter other markets and regions during the second half of 2026.
“This is the first large-scale physical AI market,” Huang said. “We can all agree it is fully here. In the next 10 years I’m fairly certain a large percentage of the world’s cars will be autonomous.”
Other companies adopting Alpamayo models for AV include JLR, Lucid (LCID) and Uber (UBER).
Alpamayo was trained with Nvidia’s Cosmos, a world foundation model. It uses synthetic data to train robots for the physical world. It synthesized millions of driving miles for Alpamayo before it was ever deployed on the roadways.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
Vistra to buy Cogentrix Energy, 10 natural gas-fired power plants in $4B deal
Vistra (VST) +4.9% post-market Monday after saying it agreed to acquire Cogentrix Energy from Quantum Capital Group in a deal valued at ~$4 billion, comprised of $2.3 billion in cash and 5 million common shares worth $900 million, plus the assumption of $1.5 billion of debt offset by $700 million in expected tax benefits generated directly from the transaction.
Cogentrix consists of 10 modern natural gas generation facilities totaling 5,500 MW of capacity, including three combined cycle gas turbine facilities and two combustion turbine facilities located across PJM, four combined cycle gas turbine facilities in ISO New England, and one cogeneration facility in ERCOT.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
U.S. plans meeting with oil execs this week on Venezuela but companies likely to be wary
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright reportedly plans to talk this week with oil company executives about rebuilding Venezuela’s energy industry following the capture of President Maduro, but it is far from certain that the companies will be eager to take on such a huge task and its inherent risks.
The situation on the ground remains very unstable, Venezuela’s oil industry is in shambles, and the country seized oil assets from Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Conoco two decades ago.
The biggest problem of all may be that oil prices - down more than 20% in the past year - currently are too low to justify spending the tens of billions of dollars that would be required to revive Venezuela’s oil industry crippled by years of underinvestment, economic crisis and international exile.
Venezuela would need $53 billion of investment over the next 15 years just to keep oil output flat at 1.1 million bbl/day, and to return Venezuela to its peak production of 3 million bbl/day from the late 1990s, total oil and gas capital spending would need to reach $183 billion through 2040, according to new estimates published by consulting firm Rystad Energy.
In a bullish case, production could climb to more than 2 million bbl/day by 2030, but only if “there is enough security and incentive for U.S. (and allies) oil companies to re-enter Venezuela,” and if a transition is delayed and the blockade remains intact, “production shut-ins would likely be needed,” which actually could cut production by nearly 500,000 bbl/day, the analysts said.
“It will take a long time to shake out the impact regarding oil supplies and hence, petroleum pricing,” Ritterbusch and Associates said in a note. “We believe that there will be negligible effect on oil futures for at least a couple of months given the ongoing embargo on sanctioned cargoes and numerous legal and logistical challenges that will take a long time to work out.”
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
AMD unveils Zen 5–powered Ryzen AI Embedded processors at CES
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) late on Monday unveiled a new chip designed for enterprise data centers as it seeks to challenge Nvidia’s (NVDA) dominance in the AI hardware market, while also highlighting the capabilities of its next generation of data-center products.
The company is adding a new model to its current lineup – one called the MI440X – for use in smaller corporate data centers where customers can deploy local hardware and keep data inside their own facilities, Chief Executive Officer Lisa Su said as part of a keynote at the CES trade show.
AMD (AMD) also introduced the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded processors, a new portfolio of embedded x86 processors designed to power AI-driven applications at the edge.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 05, 2026
Nvidia sees strong demand for H200 chips in China; has enough supply: report
Nvidia (NVDA) said it has seen strong demand from customers in China for its H200 chip, Bloomberg News reported.
CFO Colette Kress told analysts during a meeting at CES 2026 in Las Vegas on Monday that license applications have been filed and the government is deciding what it wants to do with them. Nvidia’s Founder and CEO Jensen Huang described the demand as strong, the report added.
Kress said regardless of the level of license approval, Nvidia has enough supply to serve customers in China without impacting the company’s ability to ship to customers elsewhere, the report noted.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 06, 2026
D-Wave Quantum rises as it shows off industry first on-chip cryogenic control of qubits
D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) shares rose 1% in premarket trading on Tuesday after it announced it had successfully completed an industry first of scalable, on-chip cryogenic control of qubits.
This milestone allows for the development of gate-model quantum computers, as it significantly cuts the amount of wiring needed for large numbers of qubits and does not negatively impact qubit fidelity, the company said.
“Without on-chip control and multiplexing, useful gate-model quantum computers require an impractically large amount of wiring and massive cryogenic enclosures,” said Dr. Trevor Lanting, chief development officer at D-Wave, in a statement. “Scalability is fundamental to the growth and increasing adoption of this technology, and controlling more qubits with less wiring enables us to build larger processors with a smaller footprint. We believe this historic milestone positions D-Wave to deliver the industry’s first truly scalable, commercial-grade gate-model system.”
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 06, 2026
NVDA 0.00%↑ NBIS 0.00%↑ CRWV 0.00%↑
Nebius, Supermicro and CoreWeave set to offer Nvidia’s Vera Rubin computing platform
Nebius (NBIS) said it will offer Nvidia’s (NVDA) Vera Rubin NVL72 graphics processing units in the U.S. and Europe from the second half of 2026.
Nebius said it will integrate Vera Rubin NVL72 across its full-stack infrastructure at data centers in the U.S. and Europe, enabling customers to build next-generation AI applications with regional availability and control.
Nebius noted that the Rubin accelerated computing platform will complement its existing Nvidia GB200 NVL72 and Nvidia Grace Blackwell Ultra NVL72 capacity and expand customers’ choice of platforms.
Separately, Supermicro (SMCI) announced support for Nvidia’s (NVDA) Vera Rubin NVL72, HGX Rubin NVL8 computing platforms.
In addition, CoreWeave (CRWV) said it will add Rubin technology to its AI cloud platform, expanding the range of solutions available to its customers who are building and deploying agentic AI, reasoning, and large-scale inference workloads.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 06, 2026
NVDA 0.00%↑ #SIEGY
Siemens, NVIDIA deepen collaboration on industrial AI, digital twins
Under the expanded agreement, NVIDIA (NVDA) will supply AI infrastructure, simulation tools, and software frameworks, while Siemens (SIEGY) (SMAWF) will contribute industrial software, hardware and engineering expertise. The companies said the goal is to embed AI more deeply into industrial workflows and accelerate the use of digital twins, simulation and automation across factories and supply networks.
The companies said they plan to develop AI-accelerated tools for electronic design, simulation, manufacturing and supply chain operations. A central focus is the creation of AI-driven manufacturing sites that continuously analyze digital twins, test operational changes in software and apply validated updates on the factory floor.
Siemens (SIEGY) (SMAWF) said its electronics factory in Erlangen, Germany, will serve as the first reference site for these capabilities starting in 2026.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 06, 2026
NVDA 0.00%↑ PEP 0.00%↑ $SIEGY
PepsiCo announces industrial AI collaboration with Nvidia and Siemens
PepsiCo (PEP) announced at CES that the company struck a multi-year, industry-first collaboration with Siemens and Nvidia (NVDA) to deploy advanced AI and physics-based digital twin technology to transform its manufacturing plants and supply chain operations. The collaboration will start with pilot facilities in the U.S. and scale globally over time.
The platform is expected to help PepsiCo (PEP) virtually design, test, and optimize facility layouts before making physical changes.
Early deployments have reportedly delivered a 20% increase in throughput, nearly 100% design validation, and 10–15% reductions in capital expenditure by validating investments in a virtual environment rather than through traditional, slower, and more costly physical expansion.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 06, 2026
$SIEGY $SMAWF
Siemens open to more AI, life sciences deals, CEO says
Siemens (SIEGY) (SMAWF) Chief Executive Roland Busch said the company is open to further acquisitions in areas including artificial intelligence, life sciences and factory operations software, building on its recent deal activity.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 06, 2026
Nvidia’s Jensen Huang says purchase orders will indicate China’s approval of H200 chips: report
Nvidia’s Founder and CEO Jensen Huang said he does not believe the Chinese government will make a formal declaration that it has allowed Chinese companies to import the chipmaker’s H200 GPUs but that proof will come through purchase orders, Reuters reported.
“My expectation is that we’re not expecting any press releases or any large declarations,” Huang said, after noting that demand for the H200 chips was strong from Chinese companies, the report added.
“It’s just going to be purchase orders. If the purchase orders come, it’s because they’re able to place purchase orders,” said Huang during a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, 2026 in Las Vegas.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
China tells some companies to halt Nvidia H200 orders before it decides on access: report
Chinese government officials have told some of its tech companies to halt orders of Nvidia’s (NVDA) H200 GPUs before the government makes a decision on whether to allow the chips to be sold in the country, The Information reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The Chinese government is also debating what, if any, conditions, should be placed on the GPUs if they’re sold in the country.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
ITA 0.00%↑ NOC 0.00%↑ DRNZ 0.00%↑ AVAV 0.00%↑
[Newsletter Exclusive] Background on Greenland: History of the Arctic investment opportunity
Several U.S. overtures for Greenland were made over the years, including in 1867, following the purchase of Alaska from the Russians, and in 1946, when America offered $100M in gold for the island. It followed Denmark asking the U.S. to defend the territory in 1941 after the Germans occupied their country, resulting in Greenland serving as a base for U.S. fighters and bombers, and later during the Cold War for early missile warning systems. Until today, it’s American power that mainly provides operational security control, which is now being leveraged into the conversation.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
QCOM 0.00%↑ TSM 0.00%↑ #SSNLF
[Newsletter Exclusive] Qualcomm in talks with Samsung for contract manufacturing - report
Qualcomm Technologies (QCOM) will likely use Samsung Electronics’ (SSNLF) 2-nanometer foundry process to manufacture its next-generation mobile application processors, the Korea Economic Daily reported, quoting the U.S. company’s CEO Cristiano Amon.
The South Korean newspaper cited Amon as saying Qualcomm is in talks with several chip foundries, including Samsung Electronics, about contract manufacturing using a 2-nanometer process, with design work already completed ahead of near-term commercialization.
The deal would mark Qualcomm’s return to Samsung’s most advanced manufacturing nodes after several years of relying almost exclusively on TSMC (TSM) for leading-edge production, the report added.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
NFLX 0.00%↑ WBD 0.00%↑ PSKY 0.00%↑
Warner Bros. rejects the revised Paramount bid and commits to Netflix deal
“Paramount’s offer continues to provide insufficient value, including terms such as an extraordinary amount of debt financing that create risks to close and lack of protections for our shareholders if a transaction is not completed. Our binding agreement with Netflix will offer superior value at greater levels of certainty, without the significant risks and costs Paramount’s offer would impose on our shareholders,” stated Warner Bros. board chair Samuel Di Piazza, Jr.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
Compass Pathways gets green light for late-stage study of psilocybin for PTSD
Compass Pathways (CMPS) is up ~5% in premarket trading Wednesday after the US FDA accepted its Investigational New Drug application for COMP360, a psilocybin-based therapy, for PTSD.
As a result, the company will begin a late-stage trial for the candidate. Psilocybin is a chemical compound with psychedelic properties found in “magic mushrooms.”
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
GOOG 0.00%↑ #ChatGPT
Google’s Gemini looks to have gained ground on ChatGPT in December: BNP Paribas
“In December, Gemini’s share of website visits and app avg. monthly [daily active users] increased to 22.5% and 13.2%, respectively, from 17.7% and 11.7% in November and 6.5% and 11.2% in December of 2024,” BNP Paribas analyst Nick Jones wrote in a note to clients, citing the firm’s AI tracker, which aggregates third-party data trends.
Adding that the launch of Gemini 3 in November appears to have been a “key catalyst” for user adoption, Jones said he is “encouraged” by Google’s acceleration. He also noted that the tech giant is positioned to be the “dominant AI platform,” which has implications for OpenAI and Meta (META), especially given that Meta AI has seen “minimal adoption.”
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
GOOG 0.00%↑ #ChatGPT
Gemini, ChatGPT, Grok continue to see monthly gains, BofA says
Citing data from research firm SimilarWeb, Gemini daily active users rose 17% month-over-month and 351% year-over-year to 62M, while ChatGPT saw a 2% month-over-month and 262% year-over-year increase to roughly 392M. Gemini added 9M global daily active users, while ChatGPT and Grok added 6M and 1M, respectively. In addition, the data showed that Perplexity ended the period with 10M daily active users, up 341% year-over-year.
“[The] data suggests Gemini 3.0 LLM traction continues to drive traffic & Gemini app downloads,” Post wrote in a note to clients. “In contrast, [the] data suggests ChatGPT’s global traffic growth is slowing (web traffic largely flat in 2H’25), potentially as AI Overviews, AI Mode and Gemini gain traction. With a growing percentage of Google searches served in AI-native formats, we think Street could be underestimating potential Search upside in 2026 as higher engagement and improved conversions drive incremental monetization.”
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
CBT 0.00%↑ #PowerCO
[Newsletter Exclusive] Cabot signs multi-year supply agreement with PowerCo
Cabot (CBT) on Wednesday said it has signed a multi-year supply agreement with PowerCo, a European original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the electric vehicle (EV) battery sector.
Under the agreement, Cabot will supply its advanced conductive carbons and conductive dispersions for use in EV batteries electrodes.
Cabot’s conductive formulations are high-performance materials designed to enhance battery conductivity and efficiency. They play a critical role in improving the performance of lithium-ion batteries by enabling higher energy density, faster charging capabilities, and extended battery life, which are critical performance attributes for next-generation EVs.
This agreement marks a significant milestone in Cabot’s strategic growth in the battery materials market.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
[Newsletter Exclusive] J&J submits application for FDA approval of OTTAVA robotic surgical system
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has submitted to the US FDA a De Novo classification application for its OTTAVA robotic surgical system.
The company is seeking approval for multiple procedures in the upper abdomen, such as gastric bypass, small bowel resection, and hiatal hernia repair.
J&J noted that OTTAVA has a unique unified architecture and future connection to its Polyphonic digital ecosystem.
The company added that it received permission for an Investigational Device Exemption study of OTTAVA for inguinal hernia procedures.
OTTAVA is seen as a potential competitor to Intuitive Surgical’s (ISRG) da Vinci surgical system.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
Joby Aviation acquires third production facility ahead of goal to double production in 2027
Joby Aviation (JOBY) continues to expand its manufacturing footprint and goal to double its aircraft production in 2027 with the purchase of a second facility in Ohio.
The 700,000 square foot facility is ready for immediate use and complements Joby’s (JOBY) existing production facilities in Marina, California and propeller blade plant in Dayton, Ohio.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
NVDA 0.00%↑ VRT 0.00%↑ TT 0.00%↑ JCI 0.00%↑
[Newsletter Exclusive] Nvidia’s CES comments reshape data-center cooling outlook, UBS says
Nvidia (NVDA) has said its newest chips run so hot that they can be cooled with much warmer liquid, roughly 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit, without sacrificing performance. That warmer water can then be cooled using so-called “free cooling,” which relies on outdoor ambient conditions rather than energy-intensive mechanical chillers.
“The bottom line is this new technology impacts mostly the heat-rejection method,” Mehrotra wrote, emphasizing that the shift is about how heat is expelled rather than eliminating cooling infrastructure altogether.
Winners: cooling towers and dry coolers
UBS said the development is broadly positive for makers of cooling towers and dry coolers, which can reject heat without compressors. Mehrotra highlighted Vertiv (VRT) as a potential beneficiary, noting that its DX Thermal portfolio has a strong position in dry-cooler systems.
Chillers not going away
Despite headlines suggesting Nvidia’s (NVDA) chips could make chillers obsolete, UBS pushed back on that interpretation. Mehrotra said mechanical chillers will remain a core part of data-center design for the foreseeable future.
Most data centers operate hybrid environments, where only a portion of racks are dedicated to AI workloads, while the broader facility still requires traditional air cooling. In addition, most installed chips continue to require either air cooling or much colder liquid, both of which depend on water-cooled mechanical chillers.
Geography also matters. UBS noted that Nvidia’s (NVDA) warmer-water cooling concept is far less effective in hot climates such as Texas and Arizona, where outdoor temperatures can approach or exceed liquid-loop temperatures, limiting the viability of free cooling.
Mixed effect on diversified HVAC players
For diversified HVAC and industrial players such as Trane Technologies (TT) and Johnson Controls (JCI), UBS sees “neutral to modestly negative” implications from the Nvidia-driven shift. Still, Mehrotra stressed that both companies are expected to deliver meaningful growth in coming years, with much of Johnson Controls’ improvement driven by company-specific margin initiatives rather than data-center exposure alone.
Overall, UBS framed Nvidia’s CES comments as evolutionary rather than disruptive for cooling equipment makers, reshuffling demand across technologies rather than eliminating it. As Mehrotra put it, chillers “will still be very much part of the data center infrastructure ecosystem,” even as free-cooling solutions take on a larger role in select applications and climates.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
Micron set to benefit from memory supply tightness through 2026; Piper Sandler hikes price target
Micron Technology (MU) appears set to benefit from the tight supply of memory and higher pricing through at least the end of 2026, according to Piper Sandler.
“As previously stated, supply for calendar 2026 is effectively sold out, with limited ability to add capacity,” said Piper Sandler analysts Harsh Kumar and Josh Dunn in an investor note. “Management noted pricing for high value products, such as HBM4, will be value-derived. We continue to view the company as extremely well positioned, as demand should continue to outstrip supply.”
Piper Sandler maintained its Overweight rating and increased its price target on Micron to $400 from $275.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
[Newsletter Exclusive] Trex upgraded at Wolfe Research, says steep selloff has gone too far
Decking manufacturer Trex Co. (TREX) on Wednesday picked up a second analyst upgrade this week, with Wolfe Research arguing that the stock’s sharp decline has created an attractive entry point for investors.
Wolfe analyst Trevor Allinson lifted his rating on Trex (TREX) to outperform from peer perform, a move that followed an upgrade a day earlier by UBS. Trex shares fell about 49% in 2025, a selloff Wolfe believes has overshot the company’s underlying fundamentals.
Concerns have centered on competitive pressure after James Hardie Industries (JHIUD) (JHX) agreed to acquire AZEK, a deal that some investors see as a potential threat to Trex’s growth trajectory. Wolfe, however, said those worries appear largely priced into the stock.
Allinson said he sees limited downside risk to 2026 earnings expectations, noting that consensus gross-margin forecasts for that year look conservative. He added that Trex’s (TREX) current valuation, which sits at a notable discount to its historical averages, provides what he described as a “margin of safety” for investors willing to look past near-term uncertainty.
UBS analyst John Lovallo said the company’s growth algorithm remains intact after several years of below-trend performance driven by pandemic disruptions and weak consumer confidence.
Lovallo expects Trex (TREX) to return to higher year-over-year sales growth beginning in 2027, following five consecutive years of subdued activity. UBS models average annual revenue growth of about 9% starting that year, supported by modest expansion in the repair-and-remodel market, continued conversion from wood to composite decking, and contributions from Trex’s (TREX) railing business. Lovallo noted that pricing actions could provide additional upside to those estimates.
Near term, UBS expects 2026 to reflect several headwinds, including higher selling, general and administrative expenses, increased depreciation from the company’s Little Rock, Arkansas facility, and margin pressure tied to product mix. Even so, Lovallo said Trex (TREX) appears positioned for margin improvement in 2027 and beyond as operating leverage returns and competitive pressures normalize.
UBS forecasts Trex’s (TREX) adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization margin will bottom in 2026 before improving the following year, remaining below the company’s pre-pandemic average but leaving room for upside. Lovallo characterized current margin expectations as “de-risked,” citing clearer visibility into cost pressures and a stabilizing demand outlook.
Lovallo also pointed to valuation as a key driver of the upgrade, noting that Trex (TREX) shares are trading at a forward enterprise value-to-ebitda multiple well below historical averages. He said the recent pullback in the stock presents a favorable entry point as investors begin to look past near-term pressures and toward a recovery in housing-related demand, including a potential pickup in existing home sales starting in 2026.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
#OpenAI #ChatGPTHealth
OpenAI unveils ChatGPT Health
Located inside the ChatGPT app, ChatGPT Health allows users to use the app in a more secure and private way, offering “purpose-built encryption and isolation to keep health conversations protected and compartmentalized,” the company said in a release.
It has a separate chat history and memory feature and includes the ability to “securely connect medical records and wellness apps,” including Apple (AAPL) Health, Function, and MyFitnessPal. Other apps that can connect to ChatGPT Health include Peloton (PTON), Weight Watchers, AllTrails and Instacart (CART).
More than 230M people every week are already using ChatGPT for health and wellness-related questions, the company added.
The new ChatGPT Health feature was also built in consultation with physicians, OpenAI said.
ChatGPT Health will initially be available to a small group of users across the different tiers of subscriptions — ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans — and those who live outside the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are eligible. Access will be expanded to all users on the web and iOS in the “coming weeks,” OpenAI added.
Fidji Simo, the CEO of applications at OpenAI, said the company built ChatGPT Health to aid the current healthcare system’s shortcomings. These include overburdened doctors, the fragmentation of the system, associated costs and the fact the system is reactive rather than proactive.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
[Newsletter Exclusive] JPMorgan Chase said to win Apple credit card program
JPMorgan Chase (JPM) struck a deal to acquire the Apple (AAPL) credit-card program from Goldman Sachs (GS), according to a media report on Wednesday, a transaction that would further bolster Chase’s already envious position in consumer credit.
The U.S.’s largest bank will become the new issuer of the tech giant’s credit card, which is one of the biggest co-branded programs with ~$20B in balances, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Goldman Sachs (GS) is expected to offload the program, with about $20B of outstanding card balances, at a more than $1B discount, the people told The WSJ. The discount reflects a high exposure to subprime borrowers and a higher-than-industry-average delinquency rate, factors which had slowed the process in finding a buyer, the newspaper had reported earlier.
JPMorgan (JPM) is planning to introduce a new Apple savings account, people familiar with the matter said. Customers with existing Apple savings accounts at Goldman (GS) can decide whether to move their account to JPMorgan or stay with Goldman, they told the WSJ.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
Caterpillar extends autonomy beyond mining with first quarry deployment
Caterpillar (CAT) is pushing its autonomous technology into new territory, expanding beyond large-scale mining operations and into quarry applications, as the company looks to translate decades of autonomy investment into broader commercial use.
The equipment maker said its autonomous haulage system, MineStar Command for hauling, is now operating at Luck Stone’s Bull Run quarry in Virginia, marking its first deployment in a quarry environment. A fleet of autonomous Cat 777 trucks has already hauled more than 1 million tons of material, with productivity reaching parity with traditionally staffed machines shortly after launch, Caterpillar (CAT) said.
The move highlights how autonomy, long viewed as a fit mainly for massive, remote mining sites, is being adapted for smaller, more complex operations that face labor shortages and tighter safety constraints. Quarry sites typically have higher interaction between people and machines and operate closer to population centers, making consistency and reliability critical.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 07, 2026
ITA 0.00%↑ NOC 0.00%↑ DRNZ 0.00%↑ AVAV 0.00%↑
Defense stocks rebound after-hours as Trump proposes $1.5T ‘Dream Military’ budget plan
Defense stocks rebounded sharply in after-hours trading, which was triggered by a late-session Truth Social post from President Donald Trump, where he proposed a historic $1.5T defense budget for fiscal year 2027.
This represents a substantial increase from the previously discussed $1T figure.
Early in the session, the sector plummeted after President Donald Trump said he would move to block U.S. defense contractors from paying dividends or repurchasing shares unless they significantly increase spending on manufacturing capacity and research, remarks that sent shares of major arms makers lower.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
Nvidia seeks full upfront payment for H200 AI chips in China - report
U.S. tech giant Nvidia (NVDA) is asking its Chinese customers seeking H200 AI chips for upfront payment amid concerns about Beijing’s approval of shipments, Reuters reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The terms eliminate options for cancellations, refunds, or configuration changes post-order, marking a shift from prior practices that sometimes allowed deposits.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
Arm reorganizes to launch Physical AI unit amid robotics rush
Arm said in an email to Seeking Alpha that it has created three new business units, replacing its former lines of business.
Cloud AI: To drive high performance AI across data center compute, networking and storage. This unit is led by Mohamed Awad, EVP of Cloud AI Business Unit.
Edge AI: To focus on on-device AI across smartphones, AI PCs, extended reality, or XR, and wearables, smart home systems, and other embedded and industrial devices, led by Chris Bergey, EVP of Edge AI Business Unit.
Physical AI: It is centering on technologies that combine AI and real-world physical movement —from vehicles to robots to autonomous machines — led by Drew Henry, EVP of Physical AI Business Unit.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
QBTS 0.00%↑ #QuantumCircuits
[Newsletter Exclusive] D-Wave Quantum’s buy of Quantum Circuits gives it ‘formidable ally,’ Wedbush says
“D-Wave has historically been known as a pure-play annealing player, given its role in pioneering this approach (which is rooted in superconducting circuits),” analysts at the firm wrote in a note to clients. “As such, we view the acquisition of Quantum Circuits for $550M as significantly enhancing D-Wave’s capabilities and expertise in gate-model systems, moving the company significantly further along the path towards consummating its previously stated ambitions in developing such a system to complement its commercially available annealing systems.” The analysts have an Outperform rating and $35 price target on D-Wave.
Shares of D-Wave Quantum were fractionally lower in premarket trading on Thursday.
The analysts believe the acquisition allows D-Wave to become more of a dual-platform company. The deal should boost D-Wave’s gate-model systems for general purpose quantum computing, in addition to its existing annealing systems for optimization.
And despite the run-up in valuations of quantum computing firms in the past year, the analysts said the purchase price is “relatively attractive,” as it only dilutes shareholders around 3% and leaves D-Wave with “ample cash.”
“Net, while we view this acquisition as bolstering D-Wave’s capabilities and having the potential to accelerate its gate-model system development, we do not incorporate any additional revenue to our model at this juncture and will wait for further developments indicating whether D-Wave can demonstrate the successful development and general availability of a gate-model system,” the analysts added.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
Lumentum in focus as Needham ups price target, reiterates it as top pick for 2026
“We hate to sound repetitive, but LITE will remain our top pick again in 2026 after a strong performance as our pick for 2025,” analyst Ryan Koontz wrote in a note to clients. “We have increased conviction that optical spend intensity for AI infrastructure continues to increase as a percentage of AI networking CapEx while AI technology investments remain in the early stages of a prolific ramp. LITE is uniquely positioned to benefit throughout AI data center applications, expanding from today’s scale-out, DCI, and long-haul Telecom demand drivers, to new high-growth demands for scale-across and optical circuit switching in 2026, with [co-packaged optics] and scale-up opportunities poised to deliver further growth in 2027 and beyond.”
Koontz raised his price target on Lumentum to $470 from $290 and reiterated his Buy rating.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
Energy Fuels rises on robust feasibility study for Madagascar rare earth project
Energy Fuels (UUUU) +3.2% pre-market Thursday after saying an updated feasibility study for its Vara Mada project in Madagascar, formerly known as the Toliara project, confirmed the project’s “exceptional economics” and “world-class quantities” of high-quality rare earth, titanium, and zircon mineral reserves and resources.
Key economic metrics for the project include $1.8B post-tax net present value and a modeled 38‑year mine life, ramping to more than $500M expected annual EBITDA, 72% expected average annual EBITDA margin, and $264M of expected average annual free cash flow, with expected annual production averages of 959K metric tons of ilmenite (sulphate, slag, and chloride), 66K tons of zircon, 8K tons of rutile, and 24K tons of monazite.
The company said Vara Mada’s scale is underpinned by the project’s Ranobe deposit, with estimated mineral reserves at point of feed to the dry mining unit at 904M metric tons of proven and probable mineral reserves with an average heavy mineral grade of 6.1%, and mineral resources estimated in situ at 485M metric tons of measured and indicated mineral resources with an average heavy mineral grade of 3.3%.
Energy Fuels (UUUU) said monazite produced from Vara Mada and its other HMS projects has the potential to supply up to 30% of U.S. demand for light REE oxides and 85% of U.S. demand for heavy REE oxides such as dysprosium and terbium.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
Bloom Energy surges as AEP signs $2.65B fuel cell deal
Bloom Energy (BE) +15.7% pre-market Thursday after American Electric Power (AEP) disclosed a $2.65B deal to purchase solid oxide fuel cells from the company as part of its plan to develop and build a fuel cell power generation facility in Wyoming.
AEP (AEP) said its unregulated subsidiary signed an agreement with Bloom Energy (BE) in November 2025 to acquire 100 MW of solid oxide fuel cells with an option to purchase an additional 900 MWs, and the unit exercised that option earlier this week.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
SNOW 0.00%↑ GOOG 0.00%↑ PLTR 0.00%↑
Snowflake upgraded to Buy as its data management becomes critical for enterprise gen-AI: Argus
“We see this as a good entry point for investors after the market took SNOW shares down a notch following a disappointing 3Q report,” said Argus analyst Joseph Bonner in a Thursday investor note. “While we acknowledge that Snowflake’s consumption-based revenue model may lead to some inconsistent results from time to time, we also see that the company continues to grow revenue near management’s north star target of 30%, i.e. much faster than most companies in the IT space, let alone the market as a whole. As the company scales, margins are also expanding, which we consider as a hallmark of good management.”
Argus also highlighted Snowflake’s expanded partnership with Google Cloud (GOOG)(GOOGL) with Gemini 3 now natively available within Snowflake Cortex AI.
“This enables customers to scale generative AI applications, including Gemini intelligent data agents without moving or copying data across platforms, ensuring greater security, compliance, and better performance,” Bonner said. “We see this expansion as one more proof point of the critical demand for Snowflake’s ability to structure and unify customer data, enabling enterprises to pursue the GenAI applications future.”
What’s more, Snowflake recently partnered with Palantir (PLTR) to integrate Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud with Palantir’s Foundry and Artificial Intelligence Platform products. This will also enable customers to quickly develop and deploy agentic GenAI solutions.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
QCOM 0.00%↑ RIVN 0.00%↑ #VWAGY #HYMLF
Qualcomm unveils deals with Volkswagen, Hyundai Mobis to boost auto unit
Qualcomm unveiled separate deals on Thursday with Volkswagen AG (VWAGY), and Hyundai Mobis (HYMLF) to boost the semiconductor’s automotive unit.
The venture with Volkswagen, announced at CES, will see Qualcomm provide high-performance system-on-chips for advanced infotainment capabilities and Volkswagen’s new platform. Volkswagen is working on the platform with Rivian (RIVN).
Qualcomm also signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai to co-develop integrated solutions for automotive tailored to emerging markets. Hyundai Mobis will use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride Flex system-on-chip and the two companies will work on more projects than advanced driver assistance systems, with plans to deliver broader software-defined vehicles solutions based on Snapdragon.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
FSLR 0.00%↑ HOOD 0.00%↑ TER 0.00%↑ ANET 0.00%↑ CLS 0.00%↑ MDB 0.00%↑
Goldman’s best fundamental ideas with upside to estimates on upcoming earnings season
First Solar Inc. (FSLR): Analysts expect 31% upside driven by strong domestic market share (~40%) in utility-scale solar, incremental demand from data centers supporting higher ASPs, and favorable positioning to benefit from final FEOC guidance and potential Section 232 outcomes.
Robinhood Markets Inc. (HOOD): Analysts see more than 30% upside as the company benefits from a healthy retail trading backdrop and regulatory developments spurring greater crypto adoption, with prediction markets translating to an approximately $450M annualized revenue business.
Teradyne Inc. (TER): Analysts see upside driven by accelerating growth in the semiconductor test segment, particularly GPUs, as the company’s strategic pivot toward AI compute positions it favorably amid large-scale datacenter buildouts.
Arista Networks Inc. (ANET): Analysts expect more than 20% upside as the company benefits from ongoing data center spending growth, with deep engineering expertise and its differentiated EOS (Extensible Operating System) optimizing performance quality and reliability.
Celestica Inc. (CLS): Analysts see more than 20% upside driven by strong engineering capabilities and ability to scale production quickly, particularly as a leading provider of Google TPU rack level solutions positioned favorably for the TPUv7 Ironwood chip platform ramp.
MongoDB Inc. (MDB): Analyst expect 9% upside as the company demonstrates a clear inflection point with Atlas revenue growth accelerating to 30%, driven by an effective upmarket pivot and the launch of the Application Modernization Platform.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
ACHR 0.00%↑ NVDA 0.00%↑ JOBY 0.00%↑
Archer Aviation integrates NVIDIA IGX Thor platform for autonomous flight
Archer Aviation (ACHR) will integrate the NVIDIA (NVDA) IGX Thor platform into future iterations of its aircraft programs to enhance an aircraft’s predictive capabilities, autonomous flight controls, and to more effectively integrate Archer aircraft into the current airspace.
Archer (ACHR) will debut its NVIDIA (NVDA) integration at its recently acquired Hawthorne, California airport, the proposed operational hub for Archer’s (ACHR) Los Angeles air taxi network.
Rival Joby Aviation’s (JOBY) aircraft also use NVIDIA’s IGX Thor platform for its autonomous flight system.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 08, 2026
META 0.00%↑ VST 0.00%↑ OKLO 0.00%↑ #TerraPower
Meta strikes three big nuclear power deals to support AI ambitions; Vistra, Oklo shares surge
Meta (META) unveiled three agreements Friday to secure up to 6.6 GW of nuclear power by 2035 for its data centers that are among the most sweeping and ambitious so far between tech companies and nuclear power providers.
Meta (META) announced a deal with Vistra (VST) to purchase electricity from three existing nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and will back new small modular reactor projects that nuclear developers Oklo (OKLO) and TerraPower are planning to build over the next decade; the deals follow an agreement announced in June to obtain energy from a Constellation Energy nuclear site.
Meta’s (META) 20-year agreements to buy power from Vistra’s (VST) Perry and Davis-Besse plants in Ohio and Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania will provide more than 2,600 MW of energy, including 2,176 MW of operating generation beginning later this year and an additional 433 MW of combined power output increases, which Vistra said will comprise the largest nuclear uprates supported by a corporate customer in the U.S.
Vistra (VST) said the PPAs provide certainty to pursue subsequent license renewals for each of the reactors, which would extend each license an additional 20 years; currently, Beaver Valley Unit 1 is licensed through 2036, Davis-Besse is licensed through 2037, Perry is licensed through 2046, and Beaver Valley Unit 2 is licensed through 2047.
Oklo (OKO) said its agreement with Meta (META) advances its plans to develop a 1.2 GW power campus in Pike County, Ohio, and provides a mechanism for Meta to prepay for power and provide funding to advance project certainty for Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse deployment; financial terms were not disclosed.
Meta (META) also will help fund TerraPower’s development of two reactors to generate up to 690 MW of power as early as 2032, and provides Meta with rights for energy from as many as six other TerraPower reactors by 2035; financial terms were not disclosed.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 09, 2026
ADBE 0.00%↑ #Canva
BMO downgrades Adobe to Market Perform on increasing competition, no positive catalysts
BMO’s recent Creative Cloud Survey found that competitive dynamics are increasing, particularly among smaller businesses, students and freelancers. More than 50% of students surveyed are using rival Canva over Adobe. It also indicated that nearly 50% of freelancers are using Canva compared to about 10% using Adobe.
Adobe’s Creative Cloud is a subscription service that offers a suite of applications for design, photography, video and web creation.
“The most common answer to our tool usage question was that respondents are using both Creative Cloud and Canva, at over 50% of total respondents,” BMO reported. “About 30% of users use only Canva, and about 20% of users use only Creative Cloud. Hence, there are more total users of Canva vs. Adobe. Given Adobe’s preexisting market share, we view this negatively.”
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 09, 2026
SPY 0.00%↑ QQQ 0.00%↑ DIA 0.00%↑
Supreme Court Defers Blockbuster Ruling on Emergency Tariff Powers
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined to issue a ruling in the high-profile challenge to President Trump’s sweeping global tariff regime, delaying a verdict that could fundamentally reshape the balance of economic power between the White House and Congress.
During oral arguments in November, a cross-section of justices expressed skepticism. Chief Justice John Roberts notably questioned if the President’s foreign affairs power could truly “trump” the core legislative power of taxation without specific Congressional consent.
The Court has not provided an explanation for the delay, which is common for the first opinion day of the year. The next window for a ruling is Wednesday, January 14, though the justices have until the end of the term in June to provide a final answer. For now, the tariffs remain in place, and global markets remain on edge.
Source: WealthWise Research - Jan. 09, 2026
Sandisk surges after report indicating company could double price of 3D NAND for enterprise SSDs: report
Sandisk (SNDK) could double the price of its high-capacity 3D NAND memory devices for enterprise-grade solid-state drives this quarter, anticipating strong demand for server-class storage in the coming quarters, Tom’s Hardware reported, citing Nomura Securities.
It is not clear to what extent the price increase of high-capacity 3D NAND will affect quotes on mainstream flash memory used in client devices, the report added.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 09, 2026
SLB 0.00%↑ OXY 0.00%↑ OII 0.00%↑
There is no oil supply glut, it ‘would hit you like a sledgehammer’ – Carlyle’s Jeffrey Currie
Jeffrey Currie, chief strategy officer of Energy Pathways at Carlyle Group, is warning that oil prices (CL1:COM), (CO1:COM) could surge significantly higher despite widespread expectations of stable or declining prices.
In an interview with CNBC, Currie argued that high geopolitical risk combined with strong demand and a record short position creates “a recipe for some potential upside movements in prices.”
Currie pointed to gold prices testing new highs as evidence of escalating geopolitical concerns, particularly involving Venezuela and its connections to Iran and Russia.
“For oil importers, whether you’re China, India, or Europe, the world got a lot more dangerous,” he said, noting that the situation has fundamentally shifted the risk calculus for major energy consumers.
The strategist dismissed the prevailing narrative of a structural supply glut, arguing that the evidence simply doesn’t support it.
“If you’re having to scrape the data to find the evidence of your supply glut, it’s not a real supply glut,” he said. “I’ve lived through them… these things hit you over the head like a sledgehammer.”
He noted that if a true glut existed, traders would store oil in cheap land-based tanks rather than expensive tankers at sea. Much of the supposed oil surplus sits in floating storage, particularly in the South China Sea aboard “dark fleet ships” already utilizing Chinese insurance and payment systems.
Currie suggested there’s a high probability China could simply seize this floating storage given the current risks to their supply chains, effectively eliminating the perceived surplus overnight.
Technical market indicators also contradict the glut thesis, according to him. The market remains backwardated –the current spot price is higher than the prices for futures with longer expiration dates – refinery margins are elevated, and physical grades are relatively strong. None of which would characterize a genuinely oversupplied market.
He added that the current short position in the market actually exceeds the excess floating storage.
With approximately 230M barrels of shorts outstanding amid elevated risks from Iran and Russia, Currie sees the market as dangerously positioned.
“Having that big of a short with that type of risk, I think, is quite dangerous,” he said.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jan. 09, 2026
Disclosure: We own positions in some/all of the tickers mentioned in this article.
